


Lead the Way

by Face_of_Poe



Series: The Conway Cabal [7]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Driving Lessons, Ficlet, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 03:44:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16318502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Face_of_Poe/pseuds/Face_of_Poe
Summary: Alexander asks Eliza for a favor; quickly regrets everything.





	Lead the Way

_Thanksgiving 2025_  


_Albany_

“I feel stupid.” To her credit, Eliza contains her annoyance to a brief glance upward as she buckles her seatbelt, and a forcedly even exhale. “I’m almost twenty-four years old. What twenty-four-year-old is just getting his permit for the first time?”

Dully, she repeats every reason he’d provided upon making his awkward request for help right back to him. “One who left home at seventeen, where the driving age was eighteen. One who has lived ever since in Manhattan and D.C. and lives a very environmentally responsible, public transportation-oriented lifestyle.”

And from the backseat: “One who is reluctantly accepting his fate of spending a _lot_ more time visiting South Carolina after next summer and wants to be prepared for eventualities besides taking cabs everywhere.”

Alexander looks up at the rearview mirror and adjusts it until he can see the shit-eating grin on Angelica’s face. “I regret everything.”

“Fix your mirror,” she barks. “Hands at ten and two.”

“Oh, honestly, Angie,” Eliza sighs.

“Hey, dad would be _delighted_ to take over this happy endeavor.”

“Ehhh…”

Angelica snorts and points out, “Oh my _god_ , you could ask Henry when you’re in Charleston next month.”

His head hits the steering wheel. “I regret everything.”

“Eyes on the road, soldier.”

“The car isn’t even _on_.” Alexander straightens and fixes Eliza with a beseeching stare. “I get that Angelica gets supervisory rights because this is _her_ car?”

“Mm-hm.”

“But, um.” She waits him out, all cool patience, and he twists around and blinks uncertainly at the back before turning back to the passenger seat. “Why is Peggy here?”

Eliza shrugs. “Moral support?” she offers blandly.

“’Liza, she’s eating popcorn.”

There’s a crunching sound from the back seat, and a muffled, “What?”

Eliza looks back, and then double-takes. “Oh, is that cheddar?” She reaches back and returns with a fistful, which she offers innocently to Alexander.

He goes to grab some; Angelica leans forward and smacks his hand away. “Eating while driving is responsible for up to two percent of road incidents.” And then she spares a glare for her sisters. “Lord help you if you get cheese dust on my upholstery.”

A sudden tap on the driver’s window nearly sends Alexander jumping out of his skin. He fumbles about for a moment, before Eliza reaches over and turns the key so she can roll the window down from her side of the car.

Catherine leans in just far enough to get a glimpse of the pair in the back. “What on Earth are you all doing out here?”

“Tormenting me.”

“Alexander just got his learner’s permit,” Eliza explains to her mother. “And has no one to drive with in D.C.”

“Ah-ha.” She eyes Peggy, popcorn bag and all, and fixes her with a stern look under raised brows. “Well I need to run into town, if anyone wants to come wi-”

“ _Me_ ,” Alexander declares, fingers slipping on the seatbelt buckle in his haste to be free. “Me, I’ll come. Me.”

A chorus of _Awws_ goes up from the car as Catherine steps aside to let him out. “Spoilsport,” Peggy pouts, mouth full.

“Don’t leave the keys in the ignition when you exit the vehicle!” Angelica snaps.

He just throws a wave over his shoulder and jumps in the SUV parked next to them.

 

All three of them are sitting on the porch a half hour later, passing the popcorn back and forth, watching him carefully navigate the long driveway on the return trip.

He makes sure to give Angelica’s car a wide berth.


End file.
